Skelter People,

Why haven't I posted in ages on the progress of the CD? Well, I'm sorry to say there hasn't actually been much progress in recent weeks. We came out of the gates like gangbusters and then, I guess, kinda rested on our laurels. Well, that and we had a bunch of shows and holiday thingees...and before we knew it, a few months had passed by. So, when ARE you going to see the follow-up to BOOMSTICK?

Well, the Skelts recently passed a few emails back and forth on this very topic. Here's the way I read it...though I can't speak for the others. We really aren't that far from being finished. I think one long session could wrap everything up. A few acoustic guitars, a few vocal overdubs, maybe fix a guitar solo or two. But we're pretty close. I'm thinking the most time-consuming thing will be some piano/keys stuff Greg's working on. No, don't be afraid, little Skeltees. We're not synthing out or anything, but there are a few places where we wanna add some texture. I think Greg's still arranging that stuff.

All of that, as I say, probably adds up to a long day or two's work. Or more likely, a handful of after-practice short sessions. Then comes mixing and mastering, which is its own headache. So, where does that leave us?

My math, which is in no way tied to reality or Greg's or Nachie's math, says that we can wrap this baby up in January...maybe February. To that end, we've pulled way back on live shows for those two months. Just a couple of nights at that wonderworld known as the Pussycat Lounge. Ah, the Pussycat...

Anyway, once that stuff's done, we'll begin the shopping-around process. Yes, we want a sugar daddy - and we're not afraid to admit it. But we're not going to go crazy and hold the CD hostage for a year. If we don't get any nibbles after a couple of months, we'll put it out ourselves....which would be late Spring, I guess.

In the meantime, I don't wanna leave you, the peeps, hanging. I'm thinking we'll put a few songs on the new Skelter MySpace site (http://www.myspace.com/skeltermusic). We've talked about it in passing, but I got the sense that the guys were cool with putting a few of the new songs out there in the ether. Also, "Dawn Marie" will be appearing sometime soon on a collection...which hasn't yet been announced and I'm sure I'll be murdered for mentioning it here.

So, be patient, Skelter People. CD 2 is imminent. Gird yourselves for battle.

Cheers,
Michael

Oh, and happy holidays!!

Peeps!

Thanks to everyone's favorite Skelter recording engineer Barbara Ross (sorry, Greg), we've got a big folder of Skelter pics from the past year. I thought I'd pass along a few on this blog to give you an idea of life in Studio Goldfoot, as we've been recording Skelter Album 2. As for album news, we attempted final mixes last night on Dawn Marie. I'll let Greg pipe in and give you specifics. Let's just say, I'm glad we upgraded to comfy chairs this year..

Peace,
Michael

Greetings, Skelterians.

Sorry, I've been a little lax on my entries. We actually did a big recording session September 16-18, where Greg and I (with much help from evil-brained, good-eared engineer Barbara) finished all the principal recording on vocals, guitar and bass. So, in a very untrue and falsely-hopeful sense, the album's done. Except for overdubs, which is maybe a day's worth of work, we've done the principal recording on the 10 songs we came in to record. And then, there's mixing. And mastering. So, yeah, done but not done.

There was much talk over the past two months about adding some new songs. It seemed, when we went in and did that first session of rhythm tracks, that the album didn't have the sonic variety of "Boomstick"...which was one of that album's strengths, I've been told. But now, having some super-rough mixes to sit down with, I think we do cover a lot of bases. There is a lot of variety, just not the same kind of variety we had on "Boomstick", which is ok. Not a lot of ballad-type songs on the new album. Maybe one...sort of. But there are other flavors. A splash of Tex-Mex, a hint of Happy Mondays. And lots of rawk. Some of that in the old Who-Oasis-Stone Roses flavor. But some also in the Zeppelin zone, and maybe even a bit of AC/DC and Sabbath. So, yeah, a very different kind of variety. I think, then, we've decided to hold off on recording other songs. We've got 10 and we're happy with them.

The question is, of course, when are we going to release this thingee? That's a little trickier. Once we get everything tidied up and mixed and everything, we're going to take a little time to shop the album around. We've been doing it for the past few months, sending out "Boomstick" as a calling card and seeing if there are any labels out there (big or tiny) that want to be our dance partner. There's been interest, but most of it points towards people wanting to hear the new stuff. So, for the last month or so, I've backed off on sending out material 'til we can put our new stuff out there in its bestest form.

So, in answer to the question of release date, it's a little up in the air at the moment. It's probable that we'll sneak a track out on a compilation that has yet to be announced. And if it looks like it's taking too long, we'll just release it on our own under the SkelterMusic imprint, as we did with "Boomstick." We'll see. If you really want to hear the new songs, for now, the best way to do it is to come out to the shows. We've been playing as much, if not more, of the new album than we are the old 'Stick songs over the past few months.

Hrrm. Is that everything? Oh, yeah. We mention it on the News page, but it bears repeating here. A big thanks to "Boomstick" cover artist Zach Howard and designer John Hill for agreeing to return for Album 2. We get so many great comments from people about the work both guys did. I work around a lot of artists, many you might recognize and even respect, and everyone I show that album to just goes nuts over Zach's raging Skeltelephant. Both Zach and John are two super-nice and super-talented guys who go way above and beyond to help this band out. Thanks, guys. Can't wait to see what you do on this one! And an extra thanks to John...designer of the Skelter logo, incidentally...who is working on designs for a new Skelter T-shirt, hopefully to be available in the next couple of months.

I think that's it. Hey, don't be afraid to pipe in. Previously...on Skelter...I guess there was a whole thing where the Blog site asked you to sign in or sign up if you wanted to comment on a post. We've solved that, so you shouldn't be cyber-propositioned or anything like that. So, if you wanna comment or ask questions or just say "hey", feel free.

Big show this Saturday at the Barking Frog. Hope to see you kids there. These are truly the best times I, personally, have in this band. Playing deep into the night with you Skelterians camped out right in front of us with your seventh beer of the night in hand, while we try to draw deep into our bag of songs for something to infuriate Colin or make Jim fist-pump or get a what-the-fuck? look out of Jack or put Melissa and Sandy on the dance floor or coax Glenn to pick up a tambourine or make Barbara shake her head in that oh-you-boys sorta way. I love playing the Frog. Love the owner. Love the bartenders. Love the bar.

See you there for much rock.

Cheers,
Michael

Lots of recording the past two weekends. I think Greg and I have combined to do nine songs' worth of electric guitar, four songs on bass and four lead vocals. A few patterns are emerging, as far as I can tell, that lead me to believe this album will have some different flavors than "Boomstick."

For one, the material is more varied. For our first album, I was very conscious of staying the course of the mission. An identity statement for the band. I wanted it clear that this was a Britrock-flavored band. Guitars, drums and Beatle/Who/Oasis/Stone Roses-informed songwriting. And I think that's what we ended up with. I mean, I don't think we sound like those bands or anything, but I think you get the vibe of what Skelter's all about. This time around, I loosened up a bit more as a writer. There's still the Britrock thing, but some of the songs are more from a Zeppelin-y and maybe even Sabbath-y frame of mind (you can thank Herr Ross for the latter). And we go a few other places. Still melodic, I think. But definitely harder. This sounds more like the heavy Skelter you hear in the bowels of Continental.

Speaking of sound, we've had a few upgrades in the past year. Just in terms of recording knowledge and some borrowed hardware (thanks to Kristie Lee Crystal!), the drums sound a LOT better this time around. You get a much better sense of Nachie's kill-'em-all approach to the kit. I've switched guitar gear almost completely for this album. Guitar people will know the difference, but for the laypersons out there, I'll explain the difference in sound from "Boomstick's" Stratocaster sound to the new album's Les Paul sound. Two words: thicker and heavier. Like primordial ooze. I keep waiting for a trilobite to emerge from the speaker. And co-engineer Barbara Ross contributed mightily when some super-cool co-worker (Greg, you wanna help me with this fine Skelter citizen's name, so he can get his proper due?) loaned the studio the most amazing homemade amp ever, you know, made at home. This thing in combination with the Les Paul sounds a whole lot like a Stuka attack. Warm, low-endy and explosive.

We do pull back at points and try to give this album the variety that I think worked so well on the 'Stick. There's a nice little Westernish thing called "This is a Ghost Town," which you may have heard us play live in the past month. There's a thing you haven't heard us play, which I'm rather unexpectedly finding to be the problem child, called "The Idiot." It's a poppier than usual thing. We're trying to massage it into shape as we speak. Hopefully, that'll work. And there are a few other things that I think will give the album variety and (he said sniffily) nuance. But by and large, I think you're going to find this to be a heavier album than "Boomstick." For those who sweat it out with us in the darkest dens of the cit-ayy, this is for you.

We are still a ways off, by the way, on finishing up. We've got only one recording block scheduled for September, as each of the Skelts has a little mini-vacation planned before locking and rocking a big tah-do called The Last American Rock Show on the 23rd of September and hitting the Frog in early October. But we're on course. I don't think we're that far out from finishing this baby. Releasing it is another thing. We're shopping around to a few labels at the moment. Hopefully, we'll have some news on that front in the next month or two.

Cheers,
Michael

In the studio last year and for the first part of this new album, Nachie had it best, without maybe realizing it. You probably all now that the drum seat can also be called a throne. Well, the throne at the studio is the mac daddy of thrones. It's very cushiony, hydraulic and super fuzzy velvety soft. The whole thing is super solid, you could probably set ten Nachie's on it and it wouldn't fall over.

Often the guitarist and bassist and singist stand up while performing, even when recording, because it seems to feel right. Then about 12 hours later when you're still going and you're like, "... takes still good... but can't stand.... upright...." you sit down and spend 6 more hours playing. Well, until recently, we were sitting on folding metal chairs. You know those ones Kurt Angle might wollop a local home-town wanna-be hero straight over the head with? And that's not so bad to sit on for 2 hours. But after like 6 or 8 hours, you don't know when your butt stops and the metal chair starts.

Not anymore, Nachie! We have soft, cushiony chairs just like you now!

(edited insert --- GR (always i forget to sign!))

hi there. so this past weekend was the greg and michael show, and i have nothing to say about that because i wasn't there. but i hear it went very very well.

i'm here to talk about a couple of weeks ago, during the first recording sessions for the New Album, when i learned about the magic of the metronome. okay, so i've been playing the drums for a long time now, but the last time i actually sat down a learned something from someone who had Knowledge to impart on me was back when there were still video game arcades in times square. like, the kind you didn't get raped in. stupid times square.

anyway, so back in MK I era new york, i learned how to play with a metronome. back in 2005 era studio goldfoot, i relearned how to play with one.

turn a song on. now count along with that song, in your standard one-two-three-four kinda way (don't play jazz). (or some funk). now, imagine that the sweet, soft, human counting sound in your head is replaced with a "beep-boop-boop-boop-beep-boop-boop" sound. for all six of you musicians out there, i know this is nothing groundbreaking or new, but i don't get out much, and this was a big deal to me. some bands're all used to playing with giant headphones on, or stylish little bono-sized ear phones, whispering timing and stock quotes and enemies lists into their ears while playing, and they don't miss a beat. me? for me, playing with the BeepMachine makes things easier in the long run, 'cause, well, everything's on time. it was even easier in the short run, 'cause it didn't take too long to get used to playing with. it was only a problem in the evenings afterwards, when i would close my eyes, and instead of dreams filled with tasty treats, traveling fantasies, nc-17 delights, or the occasional drowning tear-fest, i would hear nothing but "beep-boop-boop-boop".

"beep-boop-boop-boop".

fuck.

so anyway, i'm done with the primary drum recording (yay for me), as one of other boys has mentioned here in the past. and soon i'll go in and shake things and rattle stuff and roll something or other. but until then, all i have is the glow of my gigantor monitor, a laundry list of various ideas for costumes i could wear this halloween, and the promise of more beeps to come.

-nachie

>>FREE STUFF OPPORTUNITY!<<

Hey, Skelter People. MW here.

By now, you're probably wondering what the hell the "C.F. Starker" at the top of this page means. Well, one of the more enjoyable things you get to do when you make an album is give your Frankensteinian creation a name. We generally post a clipboard in the studio when recording begins and then scribble down, over the course of recording, any random thoughts we might have. Most are puerile at best. Infantile (and probably unrepeatable) at worst. C.F. Starker is definitely one of those. To understand it, though, you need to watch the unsurpassably perfect movie "Super Troopers." I know, I know. Seems like a brain-dead, low-budge comedy. But trust me, it's one of the funniest movies of the past 5 years - at least! Anyway, watch it and see if you can figure out how we got the name. Actually, let's do this. The first person to trace C.F.'s etymology and spell it out to us will receive an official Skelter t-shirt. So there. Free stuff for the cleverest Skelter Person.

By the way, we're not naming the album "C.F. Starker," but it is a fun working title.

In other recording developments, this album may end up having a few more tracks than we'd originally planned. The band self-imposed a 10 song rule for the first album (well, minus the "Mysterious Track 11"). That number feels like a full album, without being bloated. And I think that worked for "Boomstick." 44-plus minutes and ten songs. Definitely worth the 10 bucks, if you don't me sayin'. But when we started recording this one, we found that our running time for Album 2's 10 songs was going to be significantly shorter than that of "Boomstick." Plus, I thought (and I think maybe Nachie thought the same thing) maybe this album didn't have some of the quieter moments that Album 1 had. Maybe "quiet" isn't the right word. But you know, acoustic-y stuff. This record's shaping up to be a heavier album. But I think it could use a little variety. Anyway, at practice Monday, we experimented with a few things...a couple of instrumentals and a new song by Greg...that, I think, might help round this baby out. I don't think we'll know 'til we record 'em whether they fit with the other music. But I'm thinking at least one or two might make the cut. Greg's new song is great. I think it's the best thing he's written. Certainly, the best thing he's shown me. Kinda Neil Youngish...which is cool by me. Anyway, we'll see how it goes.

Hope y'alls can make it out to the Continental tomorrow night. We'll be playing about half of the new album, plus a couple of surprises. Should be fun. More recording this weekend. We'll keep you posted.

Cheers,
MW...which I already said